


Breathe In

by galentines



Category: 9 to 5 the Musical - Parton/Resnick
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-24 08:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20703134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galentines/pseuds/galentines
Summary: Judy starts hanging out in Violet's office an awful lot.





	Breathe In

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warning: this fic explores anxiety/panic attacks

Judy’s hard at work when she feels it. 

The way her fingers start to shake, how they feel like they’re buzzing. She takes her hands off the typewriter and tries to steady them against the desk. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath;  _ this can’t happen at work again. _

It’s been  _ weeks  _ since her last panic attack at Consolidated. And at the time, she’d been taking care of a captive boss who was rigged up to a garage door opener. Of course she was panicking! But now? Her job is great, the environment is finally calm, and her best friend sits in the CEO’s office. What does she have to worry about now? 

_ It’s just your body, _ she tells herself.  _ Nothing is wrong. Nothing is wrong! _

She thinks about Violet, thinks about the couch in that office. Last time, she hid and curled into herself on the floor of the women’s room. Violet had lightly scolded her after, had told Judy to come to her when she needed support. 

“No one should cry alone in the bathroom, especially not you.”

Still, she balls her hands into fists, willing her body to calm down. It was always so frustrating, being fine and suddenly feeling like her stomach was trying to claw it's way up her chest. She glances around the room, sees everyone quietly typing and reading and yawning. It’s not even lunchtime yet. 

She feels tears start to prick at the corners of her eyes and abruptly stands. No one even glances her way. She tries to silently push her chair back in before booking it to the hallway. She takes a breather by the elevator, hands on her thighs as she bends down. 

The bathroom is right there. 

But just a few steps farther… 

Her knuckles beat out a staccato rhythm against the wood door; the shaking is getting worse. She takes a gasping breath and barges in without waiting for Violet’s answer. 

No one’s there. 

Before the tears hit she curls up on the couch, holds her knees to her chest and bows her head like her therapist told her to do. Deep breaths, in and out, pause in between…

The couch smells like Violet. 

Just lightly, that musky perfume that always seems to linger around her. The smell Judy associates with smiling, sharing a joke, being looked after. She inhales deeply, letting that calm her down. 

She doesn’t hear the door open. Doesn’t hear Violet quietly close it behind her. 

She just breaths. Thinks about her friend, feels it ground her. Opens her eyes once her heart rate slows. 

“Oh!” 

Violet’s quietly waiting in the doorway, concern on her face. 

“You alright Judy? I didn’t want to alarm you, wasn’t sure if you needed space--”

It’s so considerate that the tears come right back to Judy’s eyes. 

“No, no! You’re fine. You’re good.” She takes a stuttering breath, trying to laugh lightly. “I came here, didn’t I?”

“Can I?” Violet asks, gesturing to the space next to Judy. She nods and moves aside. And before Violet can even begin talking, Judy feels the words fall out of her mouth before she can even think. 

“I don’t even know what that was about, really, and it’s been so long - and nothing was happening! I was working and suddenly, well. I just needed to breathe, and you said not to in the bathroom, so I thought of you-- you weren’t here but I just needed to sit down, and--”

“Shhh.” Violet reaches out, puts a steady hand over Judy’s quivering one. “I’m glad you came here instead. You can always come here, whether I’m in or not.” 

Judy looks down at their hands. There’s that grounded feeling again, like she’s a balloon trying to float up, up, up, and Violet is just… tethering her. Keeping her here. Reminding her that she doesn’t have to drift away. 

The feeling hits her like a ton of bricks. 

_ Where did that come from? _

They must have been sitting in silence for longer than Judy realizes, because Violet pulls her hand away shyly, and Judy swears she sees a small blush on her cheeks. 

“You need anything else, kiddo?”

Judy shakes her head; she can’t really comprehend what’s happening right now. 

“No, I’m fine. I’m good. It’s all good.”

Violet raises an eyebrow, but sighs in defeat. 

“I’ve got some work to catch up on, but you’re welcome to stay.”

\---

It becomes a habit. Any time Judy starts to feel stressed, she goes to Violet’s office. 

It’s different than going to lunch with Violet. Lunch is full of life, of funny anecdotes and laughter. Leaning into Violet’ with a smile on her face, thanking her for a pudding cup like they’re schoolgirls. But in her office, they just  _ are _ . Violet makes phone calls and types up notices and approves paperwork, and Judy sits on the couch. Sometimes just to breathe, sometimes to scribble away on a paper pad until she feels better. 

Sometimes just to smell the perfume. 

Violet keeps a watchful eye, but she doesn’t push or prod. She doesn’t ask for more explanation if Judy doesn’t offer it up. 

Suddenly, there’s coffee waiting for her. Every time. Decaf - otherwise Judy gets strung out - with light cream and lots of sugar, just how Judy likes. It’s always hot. Violet just winks before getting back to work.

\---

Judy starts turning up when she’s bored, too. When there’s a lull. 

Maria notices on a Friday. 

“I truly don’t know how you get any work done, you’re hardly ever at your desk these days!”

Just an off-handed comment at the water cooler, something coworkers say to each other to fill the silence. But Judy can’t remember the last time she felt so self-conscious. 

She vows to stay out at her desk that day, for the entire day. Surely, Violet is sick of her by now, right? 

On her way out of the office that evening, Violet corners her by the elevators. 

“Are you doing alright today, kiddo? Your coffee got cold.” 

For some reason, Judy has a hard time meeting her eyes. 

“Well yes, I just had things to do, and well--”

“Missed you,” Violet says simply, smiling as she presses the down button. 

\---

_ Missed you _ . 

It’s all Judy thinks about all weekend. 

Missed her? While she was sitting at her desk, just a short walk away? Sure, that wasn’t the same as spending time together, but still… 

Her therapist asks her to explain, and Judy can’t. She just can’t put it into words. 

“Violet just… makes me feel safe.”

Judy pretends not to notice when her therapist raises her eyebrows. 

\---

It’s kind of silly, and Judy feels like a dork. She’s never gotten to the office so early, especially not while trying to balance her purse in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. 

Her therapist suggested, as a start, to just thank Violet for being there. 

Then, well. Judy had seen actual violets at a corner flower shop. 

She lets herself into the manager office like she has so many times before. She flips the light on, and before she realizes it, she’s closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. 

That scent makes her grip the flowers more tightly. 

She arranges them into a nice vase on the desk, and sees her hands start again.  _ Not now _ . She braces herself against the desk. 

The door opens. 

“Um.”

Judy’s head snaps up at the sound of Violet’s voice. She’s frozen for a moment, terrified of the confusion on Violet’s face. 

“Oh, these!” She scrambles to grab the flowers, tips the vase over in the process. “Shoot, I am so sorry Violet, I don’t--”

“It’s fine, it’s water. Just.” Violet looks at the flowers and back to Judy. “What’s the occasion?”

“No it’s not fine, let me just--”

They both reach down for the vase at the same time, their hands brushing against each other. And Judy feels her hands stop shaking. 

She plops right down on the floor and looks up helplessly. 

“They were for you,” she says simply, staring at the carpet. 

All she hears is the sound of Violet’s pumps against the carpet before a pair of hands lifts her face and lips touch hers. It’s not demanding, but gentle and curious, and she sighs against Violet’s mouth.

Judy has never felt more centered in her entire life. 

And then Violet pulls away, looking as wide-eyed as Judy feels. 

“If I misread this, I’ve got an HR nightmare on my hands.”

Judy feels the heat on her cheeks as she blushes, and suddenly she can’t stop giggling. 

“I brought you flowers,” she stutters, between chuckles. “I brought you flowers and you kissed me.” 

“Okay, okay,” Violet answers, with an affectionate eye roll. “Let’s get up, huh?”

She holds out her hands for Judy to grab, and once Judy’s standing again, all she can do is melt into Violet. 

She inhales. 


End file.
